Bal Harbour

or decades, the traditional anchors of American shopping centers were department stores. They defined scale, traffic, and identity. But consumer behavior has changed, and so has the role of food and beverage in shaping how people engage with places. We live in an era where experiences are the real currency, and the most powerful experiences are the moments that put you at ease, make you feel cared for, and give you a reason to linger. A great meal does that in a way almost nothing else can. The best restaurants create ritual. They turn a visit into a tradition. They become the places you celebrate, reconnect, decompress, and, yes, make an afternoon of it. At Bal Harbour Shops, we recognized early on that dining isn't an accessory to retail, it's an experience in its own right. In fact, my grandfather understood this long before it was industry standard. When Bal Harbour Shops opened in 1965, it included a restaurant, Schrafft's, at a time when most landlords wouldn't even consider one. Restaurants "couldn't pay rent," or so the thinking went. But dining gives people a reason to come together in a way that retail alone can't always provide. And importantly, it brings consistency. Unlike the changing seasons in fashion, food is a year-round draw. Food has always been part of our DNA. It's woven into a lush, open-air environment designed to make people feel good. The sound of water, tropical landscaping, and hospitality- driven service all work together to create an emotional connection with our guests. This matters because today's consumers aren't just shopping for products. They're seeking experiences that offer relief from daily stress, create moments of joy, and translate into time spent with friends and family. Food does that instinctively. It humanizes a luxury environment and makes it approachable without diluting its integrity. This year will see the debut of two new restaurants at the Shops joining our existing lineup of Avenue 31 Café, Café on 3, Carpaccio, Carrie's at Neiman's, Hillstone, and Makoto: The iconic China Grill and a new steakhouse concept called Slim's, a nostalgic throwback to an era of Hollywood glamour. As we look ahead, food and beverage will continue to play an even more central role, not as an add-on, but as a pillar that defines the Bal Harbour Shops experience and anchors how we connect to our community. F Wednesdays were reserved for lunch with my grandfather, Stanley, and uncle, Randy Whitman, and always at Bal Harbour Shops. MATTHEW WHITMAN LAZENBY President & CEO The New Meaning of Comfort Food C O U R T E S Y O F B A L H A R B O U R S H O P S A R C H I V E C O L L EC T I O N notations BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M

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